Juve back to winning ways
Juventus put its shock defeat to Genoa behind it as it cruised to a comprehensive 3-1 Serie A win over previously in-form Atalanta.
Alex Sandro's spectacular solo effort set the tone for Juventus as Massimiliano Allegri's side returned to winning ways with a resounding 3-1 victory over Serie A's surprise package, Atalanta.
Injury-hit Juve, which slumped to a surprise 3-1 defeat to Genoa last time out, raced ahead inside 15 minutes at Juventus Stadium, Brazil defender Alex Sandro powering home a shot from the edge of the area, before dedicating his strike to the players and staff of Chapecoense in tribute to the victims of the recent plane tragedy in Colombia.
Atalanta's success this term has been built on its solid defence, but Juve wasted no time in exerting its authority when Daniele Rugani's header doubled the advantage.
The hosts threatened to run riot after the interval, but did not extend the lead until Mario Mandzukic got in on the act after 63 minutes, the Croatian capping-off a superb individual display with a brilliant header before Remo Freuler pulled one back for Atalanta in the closing stages.
Juve's victory represents a 13th-successive triumph over Atalanta in the league, and moves the champion, temporarily seven points clear of Roma and AC Milan.
The hosts' sluggish start cost them against Genoa last week, but it appeared Allegri's side had learnt their lessons from that defeat as they dominated the early stages this time.
Gonzalo Higuain was the first to test Atalanta's defence, which had kept four clean sheets from the previous five Serie A fixtures, goalkeeper Marco Sportiello doing well to deny the Argentina striker.
However, Juve did make its dominance count soon enough, Alex Sandro weaving his way in from the left before thumping into the bottom corner from 20 yards for his first goal of the season.
That strike sparked Juve's attack into full flow, and Higuain would almost certainly have doubled its advantage straight from the restart had it not been for a fantastic last-ditch challenge by Mattia Caldara.
Things did get worse for the visitors a few moments later, though, when slack marking allowed Rugani to steal in unmarked and head home Miralem Pjanic's excellent corner.
Pjanic, revelling in a free role behind Higuain and Mandzukic, went close himself as the half-hour mark approached, Sportiello just managing to tip over the playmaker's dipping free-kick.
For all their control, Juve almost found itself pegged back prior to the interval, but a series of superb blocks from Mandzukic kept it ahead, as he prevented Jasmin Kurtic from heading in before twice covering for Gianluigi Buffon.
Atalanta started the second half brightly, but Andrea Petagna failed to test Buffon from close range in its only meaningful attack.
Juve maintained the pressure, however, and Sportiello was again called into action when Claudio Marchisio tried his luck from 25 yards, Atalanta's shot-stopper getting down sharply to parry the strike wide.
Sportiello could do nothing to deny Mandzukic a deserved goal in the 64th minute, as the former Bayern Munich striker nodded home from another pin-point Pjanic corner.
Atalanta did restore some pride when Freuler slotted in a consolation strike from Marco D'Alessandro's cross, before Mario Lemina hit the post at the other end as the visitors' nine-game unbeaten run in Serie A came to an end.
